Flat blade wipers benefit from new tech

Wipers from Bosch

Published: 08 October, 2014

A new type of wiper rubber has been developed by Bosch which provides the smoothest, quietest and most efficient performance to date. The Power Protection Plus patented coating is used in its Aerotwin Plus range of flat blade wipers, compatible with 93% of vehicles with OE fit flat blades. The product features a new adapter system, enabling each blade to fit ten different wiper arms. There are 15 single part numbers and four separate adaptors. Product specialist, wipers and lighting, Kiran Wade, said: "The new Bosch Aerotwin Plus has taken the benefits of flat-blade technology and built on it by developing a new kind of rubber. The longer service life of the product means the blades are both reliable and economical. Motorists will notice the reduction in noise, as well as superior performance, when driving in challenging conditions." The new Aerotwin Plus range is supported by a new catalogue and features new Bosch packaging, which is being rolled out across its other product ranges.

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The team over at Bosch are rather excited about their brand new FWA 9000 wheel aligner, which provides touchless wheel alignment faster than conventional equipment. The system has been through a period of testing prior to release at a Bradford garage who has found that nine out of ten cars given a quick check in under 30 seconds were in need of alignment and 75% of these customers agreed to having the alignment work done - meaning a return on investment is achievable in under 18 months. The equipment assesses four wheels simultaneously, providing quick values for camber and tow and there's no set-up time as there's no tyre clamps to deal with. This also means there's no chance of damaging wheel rims. The Touchless system bases its assessment on the position of the tyre and the chassis, recognising the movement of a vehicle as it approaches the unit's turntable pads, starting the initial measurement automatically. Thousands of reference points, generated by laser, are projected on the side of the vehicle and two stereo cameras per measurement head provide an accurate 3D reference model of each wheel. Camber, individual toe, total toe, setback, caster and geometric driving axis values are taken in a few seconds and the system can be controlled remotely so the operator need not leave the vehicle. A database holds data for more than 30,000 vehicle types, from approximately 130 manufacturers.

Robert Bosch first successfully installed a magneto ignition device into a vehicle back in 1897, solving one of the biggest problems in vehicle construction. Ignition technology has clearly moved on since then, now focussed on improving fuel economy, power and reducing exhaust emissions. Bosch provides ignition components to VMs for use as original equipment and uses the research and development in producing these parts for the aftermarket. Its coils range encompasses traditional asphalt coils for older vehicles and the modern plastic variety in both module and pencil/rod configurations, used in modern engines. The programme includes just under 300 part numbers so can boast being one of the largest coil suppliers from a single source. Bosch's cables range provides over 90% coverage and includes resistive cable sets, copper core sets, pre-assembled resistive as well as copper-core single leads. Its Silicone-Copper ignition cables are said to have outstanding interference suppression and isolation. Silicone-Copper high performance copper-core cables need to be used in vehicles which have them fitted as OE as any other type of replacement could result in malfunctions in other electronic systems.

Five new battery part numbers join the Bosch range of vehicle batteries which cover various vehicles from compact cars to SUVs. A focus has been made on providing more power to smaller vehicles, giving 10% increased cold-starting performance. The battery within a vehicle utilising Start/Stop systems and other micro-hybrid tech such as brake energy regeneration, takes on a vital role within the vehicle, a much larger one than ever before, as it maintains all electrical systems whilst the engine is switched off. It also needs to cope with intermittent charging and deep-cycling.

The FSA 500 oscilloscope enables advanced testing of electrical and electronic components and designed to be an affordable route into Bosch equipment. The scope has two and four-channel models and is supplied with pre-set component and ignition test functions and a two-channel multimeter for use on bus systems, including CAN. A signal generator simulates sensor signals and these can be customised. The FSA 500 runs off a battery and connects wirelessly to a PC which runs the Compacsoft software. This means it can be placed in the engine bay during tests and linked to the technical data on the PC. Comprehensive technical information in the form of ESI[tronic] software provides you with service bulletins which highlight typical faults for specific models. The addition of a Bosch KTS module provides actual values from the control unit displayed in real time, you can display live scope patterns beside live data. FSA software sets up the correct axis for your particular test and gives example waveforms. The tool is Euro 5 pass-thru compatible and can also be used to carry out any software updates the vehicle may need using the manufacturer's Euro 5 website.

Two new wheel balancers and a tyre changer are available from Bosch which have many OEM approvals and recognise the market's need for a 24" to 26" turntable. The WBE 4200 and 4400 semi-automatic wheel balancers provide digital read-outs for cars, LCVs and motorcycles and give better access to the inside of the wheel and an improved working position. Using Bosch's Easyfix arm, they take measurements in eight seconds, automatically measuring the diameter and distance of the wheel. They feature a space-saving hood and slim body design and use the Aludata weight sticking system - an external arm is optional. They have 11 programmes for vehicle wheels, five of which are specific for alloys. There is a weight separation programme, five for motorcycle wheels and a static unbalance optimisation feature. The WBE 4400, incorporates all of the useful features of the WBE 4200 but adds the 19" TFT LCD-monitor. Lastly, the new TCE 4450 is a fully automatic tyre changer with a column that tilts and raises, handling wider tyres with a diameter of up to 26".